A New Life
by Aislin Finn
Summary: Morgan is a young woman born in the wrong era. But when she gets the chance to life life in the 1600s, will she have what it takes to earn it?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Will Turner, Jack Sparrow, The Black Pearl or anything else from POTC. If I did I'd be the happiest person in the world. I own Morgan and all other non-POTC characters, and they may not be used w/o my permission. I'll get off my soapbox now.

A/N: Slight blunder; I didn't realize I had 1800s in the story. This is just a reload, with the correction. Thanks Mlle.Fox, for catching that for me. No idea how I missed it.

Rating: Uh, PG

Chapter One: The Fall

Living in Spain was a wonderful change to Paris; it was greener, their house was bigger and this time right beside the ocean. She loved standing on her balcony, letting the salty ocean breeze blow her dark brown wavy hair wildly around as the sun either rose or set. Her room was situated in the perfect spot; in the morning she only had to look to her right to see the sun rise above the sea, and at evening's time she could look left and see the sun set in all its glory below the horizon. This new house was an old one, from the 18th century, only it had many modern features like electricity and plumbing added. Her room was white, spacious and well lit; the previous owner had skylights added to her room and bathroom. Her father was trying to locate someone who could remove the skylights and repair the roof as close to its original as possible, but in the meantime she enjoyed them. Her floors were all stone, as were the walls in her bathroom, painted in soft light coral and sage greens. The bed was a four-poster with silk sheets and curtains and faced the large granite fireplace with a miniature grandfather clock on the mantle. It was like stepping into the past.

Morgan, her father Lord Francisco and her stepmother Lady Amelia had their first supper in their new home out on the expansive patio. The waves could be heard crashing against the sheer face of the cliff some hundred yards away. Morgan sighed contently.

"Pirates used to sail by here all the time," she commented lightly. "I'll bet there's plenty of sunken pirate ships and navy ships just off our shore."

Francisco laughed. "And who put that notion into your head?"

"Boris, the butler," she answered, perplexed. "He's lived in this town all his life."

"That doesn't mean anything Morgan," her stepmother chastised. "You know common townsfolk like to make up all sorts of stories.

Morgan just rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her wine. Amelia was a pure aristocratic, and still acted like it was the 1600s when people of her background and beliefs were in charge. Her father was much kinder and open-minded; what did he see in Amelia!

"They know more than you do," she muttered under her breath.

"Pardon me?"

"Nothing."

Amelia glared at her stepdaughter, who ate as if nothing had been said, then placed her utensils on her plate and stood up.

"I'll be in the library if either of you two need me for anything, like an apology."

Morgan tried to hide her smile as her stepmother turned and walked back into the house. When she was out of sight, Francisco sighed and gazed at his daughter.

"Why do you always do that to your mother?"

She feigned an innocent look. "Do what?"

"Don't start with that Morgan," he warned her. "Why do you enjoy angering her?"

"I don't enjoy angering her. She just so ignorant and self-centered sometimes, and I'm too blunt for my own good," she explained, finishing off her dinner and her wine.

"That's no excuse Morgan," her father replied. "She's your step-mother, regardless of any faults she has. And I expect you to be a little more respectful of her than you sometimes are."

"Why? I don't owe her anything. And I treat her with the amount of respect she asks for. If she's going to insult people like that, then she deserves the same amount of respect back."

Francisco slammed his fist down. "That is enough Morgan! I won't hear any more of this from you, and I demand that you give Amelia an apology before you go to bed tonight!"

Anger blazing in her eyes, she stood up suddenly and left the table, heading down the staircase from the patio to the grass. Her father watched her go, his anger replaced by a little guilt. She had taken the death of her mother a lot harder than he had, and she still didn't accept the fact that he wasn't replacing her mother with Amelia. If there was anything she had gotten from her mother (besides the hair and the grey-blue eyes) it was her defiant spirit. Neither one would back down from anything they felt they were right about, and would fight it to the day they died unless they were proven wrong, which was always accepted with an amazing amount of grace. Truly watching his daughter made him miss his wife all the more yet filled him with pride at having such a strong-willed daughter. There would be no man who would be able to rein her to his will, that he could be sure of, and in a way he worried less about her. On the other hand, he still bore that fatherly concern of wanting to protect his little girl from the world.

Sighing he stood up, and giving a last glance towards the figure of his daughter, went back inside to attend to the work that sat waiting for him.

Morgan stormed off towards the edge of the cliffs that looked out over just the ocean. Why did her father have to go off and marry that woman! Why did he have to go off and get married at all! It felt like he was just replacing her mother with someone else. She understood that her father had begun to get lonely after a couple of years, and she tried to be as nice as she could to all those ladies he dated, but not this one - and not marriage to her after a year. It was just so…wrong in Morgan's eyes.

She came to the edge of the cliff and stared down, watching the waves crash against the rocks. Pirates had come back to the foremost of her mind, making her smile. Morgan had often daydreamed of what it would be like to be captain of her own pirate ship, sailing freely all over the world and stealing mounds of treasure for herself and her crew. There were probably loads of treasure just under the waves of the sea, but there was no safe way down; the cliffs were too sheer, and the current too strong for anyone to even attempt to dive. So if anything was there, the sea had claimed it forever. Living in those times of the 1600s would have been glamorous as well - riding around in a carriage, living in a beautiful house like theirs only when it was newly built, attending fine ceremonies and marrying a handsome rich man. Either life would have been heaven.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and thinking it to be her father turned around with an expressionless look on her face. That look changed to puzzlement and confusion as she saw a stranger walk up to her.

"This is private property," she spat. "How did you get in?"

"I have my ways," the stranger shrugged.

"Well you had best use those ways to turn around and leave before I get you arrested," she warned him, taking a few steps to her left. The man held up his hands.

"Relax; I'm not here to harm anyone. I'm here to change your life."

Her brow furrowed. "Change my life? How the hell do you plan to do that? And why?"

"It's not getting rid of you stepmother if that's what you're thinking," he smiled coyly. She merely glared in slight confusion as he continued.

"I was blessed with certain powers, and I can use them to change other people's lives if they're willing to have them changed. However, they have to prove themselves worthy of such a gift."

Her face relaxed, considering his words. "I'm listening."

The man took a couple of steps towards her. "Let me be honest with you. I know you would love to live in the sixteen hundreds of this world rather than this year, and there is someone who would love to take your place. I can give you both a life in the different times, but you must prove that you're worthy of this life. Otherwise you remain in your current life."

She had to admit the offer was appealing. She was a woman of that time, not this time. It seemed there was nothing for her here, and a challenge would prove to be exciting.

"So how do I go about proving myself that I deserve this life you're willing to let me have?"

He stepped up so that mere inches were between them. "Do you really want to know?"

"Did you not hear the question I just asked?"

"Fair enough," he agreed, nodding his head. "Then I'll show you."

Before Morgan could even react, the man grabbed her arms and shoved her backwards, off of the cliff and into the crashing waves below.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Will Turner, Jack Sparrow, The Black Pearl or anything else from POTC. If I did I'd be the happiest person in the world. I own Morgan and all other non-POTC characters, and they may not be used w/o my permission. I'll get off my soapbox now.

A/N: Okay, this chapter should be clear of any blunders, but if I missed one let me know.

Chapter Two: Waking up in Port Royal

Morgan groaned and turned in the bed; she felt horrid. Her head felt like it was ready to burst and she was so exhausted. Then her eyes flashed open; how did she get into bed! Had her father seen the strange man approach her, and push her off of the cliff? What was more puzzling was how she survived the fall; the rocks should have killed her. Instinctively she sat up and looked around at the walls, the bed, the furniture, even the strange nightdress she was now wearing. This wasn't her house! This didn't even feel like her time! How far back did she fall?

"Welcome to your challenge," a voice said. Her eyes turned to the foot of the bed where the strange man stood.

"Where the hell am I?"

The man walked to her windows and parted the curtains some, letting in a stream of daylight. "Port Royal, sixteen hundreds. You're the daughter of a man named Governor Swann."

Her eyes widened. "Excuse me! I'm where and who!"

"I thought putting you in a storyline that's mildly familiar might help some," the man continued, ignoring her comment. "Rich, proper young woman who desires something more than the narrow life she's facing. You've actually seen this story before, but regardless of what you remember it will still be a fair struggle."

"How will it be a struggle if I remember most of the story?" she asked, one eyebrow arched. The man smiled.

"Because you'll have the desire to change things, important elements in the story. Do so and not only will you go back to your old life, but you also might get someone killed in the process. It's a delicate process."

She sighed and looked around. "So I'm Morgan Swann now?"

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "You're Elizabeth. And as long as you talk and act like Elizabeth would, no one's really going to notice the difference."

"And where is the real Elizabeth?"

"Pretending to be you. It actually worked out quite nice, since she's wanted to live the kind of life you have, and you've wanted to live the life she has. So as long as you both can pretend to be the other without changing anything drastic, you'll both get what you want," he explained.

A knock suddenly came to the door, as well as a voice.

"Elizabeth, are you awake at all?"

"You're down with sickness for a few days," the man added. "It'll give you some time to adjust before anything happens. I should warn you, Norrington's going to be by to see you often."

Morgan groaned. "Not Captain Norrington."

"Lieutenant Norrington – he hasn't become a captain yet," he said. "Remember – you change anything vital to the storyline and you go back to Spain. Now I'd lie back down if I were you."

She did as he suggested as he left the room of his own means, getting comfortable before answering her 'father'. "Yes, I'm awake."

The door opened, and Governor Swann walked in with a maid and another strange man. The Governor smiled.

"You look a little better this morning," he commented cheerfully. "The doctor has come to see you."

"And how are you feeling today Miss Swann?" the doctor asked. She managed a smile.

"My head hurts some, but otherwise I feel all right."

He nodded, set his bag on the bed and opened it to get at his contents. "Well, let's just do a quick examination then, shall we?"

She nodded, hoping he would have something for the pain. Surely they had some form of painkillers in this day. The doctor went about the usual checks; listening to her heartbeat, her breathing, checking her throat, everything she remembered the doctors doing in her time. After a few moments and murmurs to himself, he packed his stuff back into his back and stood up.

"Her throat looks a little red," he told her father. "Bed rest and tea with honey as well as plenty of liquids should have her up again in a few days. Nothing to be concerned about."

The Governor nodded, smiling. "Thank you for coming by doctor."

"It was my pleasure Governor Swann," the doctor replied walking out with the Governor. The maid, meanwhile, had busied herself with opening up the curtains and airing out the room. She soon disappeared to fetch Morgan some breakfast. It was a luxurous breakfast, much like she was used to at home with some bread, fruit, oatmeal and a muffin with tea to drink instead of orange juice. The oatmeal she didn't eat much of, as was usual for her, but the maid just put it to her 'illness' and said nothing. Everything else she ate, and asked for another tea when the maid took the dirty dishes away. Several minutes later the maid came rushing in excitedly, all the while careful so as not to spill her tea.

"Miss Swann! You'll never believe who's come to see you!"

Morgan sat up excitedly. "Who's come?"

"The Lieutenant!" the maid answered with the same excitement, putting the cup down on the night table. "Lieutenant Norrington. He's downstairs talking with your father Miss, asking if you're well enough to receive visitors."

Morgan leaned back against her pillows, which the maid had immediately set to fluffing and arranging so that they supported her comfortably.

"Do you think my father will tell Norrington that I'm not well enough to see anyone today?"

The maid, now pulling her comforters up some more, turned to look at her. "Are you not feeling well enough Miss? Should I go and tell the Governor?"

Morgan smiled. "No, I'm –"

She didn't get to finish her sentence. In walked Governor Swann, Lieutenant Norrington not far behind outfitted in his uniform. The maid curtseyed to them and walked out of the room. Swann briefly watched her go.

"Elizabeth, the Lieutenant's come to see you. Wasn't that thoughtful of him?"

She nodded. "Yes, of course. How are you Lieutenant Norrington?"

He nodded, bowing slightly towards her. "Quite well this day, Elizabeth. And, you?"

"As well as I can be, considering the circumstances."

Swann looked to one, then the other. "Well, I'll leave you two to yourselves."

They both watched as he left the room, Morgan reaching for the cup on the night table. Norrington went to help her.

"I've got it Norrington," she smiled sweetly. Inside she was grimacing. Why Norrington? Why couldn't it be someone more interesting to talk to?

Norrington blushed slightly. "Forgive me, Elizabeth. I just didn't want to see you strain yourself."

_Over a cup of tea?_ _Who do I look like to him!_ Morgan thought in her mind. She didn't let them show however, and settled back into her pillows. It was going to be a long morning.

Lieutenant Norrington left two hours later, and it was the longest two hours of her life. She was finally able to persuade him to leave when she feigned a sudden headache and insisted she needed some rest. He left her with a kiss to her hand, and the promise of his visit tomorrow.

_Oh, joy_, she had thought to herself.

Several hours later, around late afternoon, Morgan woke again to the maid busying herself in her room. A fire had been kindled in the fireplace, and the maid was trying to strengthen the flame. Morgan watched the maid's actions until she felt the fire was sufficient enough and stood up to see Morgan awake.

"How was your rest Miss?" she asked, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Good enough," Morgan answered with a smile. The maid nodded and picked up Morgan's now empty cup.

"Mr. Turner was by earlier to see how you were doing."

Morgan sat right up. "Will Turner?"

"Yes Miss," the maid assured. "The Governor told him you were resting, and might not receive any more visitors today. He said to pass on his hello and well wishes." The maid smiled. "I thought you might like to know right away Miss."

Will Turner. Now why couldn't she spend two hours with him? Morgan bit her lower lip in thought. "Is there any way you could go into town, and deliver a message for me to Mr. Turner?"

"I can't Miss," the maid answered regretfully. "But I know one of the others has need to go into town for something."

"Get me some paper and ink please," Morgan urged, to which the maid moved all the quicker. She brought over a quill, an ink pot and a parchment of paper. Luckily, Morgan had taken a calligraphy class with an instructor who was big on quills, so she had some practice using one. She took the objects from the maid, grabbed a book sitting on her night table, and proceeded to write a quick note. When the ink dried, she folded the note up to as small a square as she could and gave it to the maid.

"Give this to whoever it is that has needs to go into town," Morgan instructed. "Bid them not to open it, and give it to Mr. Turner with all haste. And tell no one of this."

"I won't tell a soul Miss. Of that you can be sure," she assured, then took her leave hiding the note up her sleeve. When she closed the door Morgan lay back into her pillows, smiling and thinking of the handsome blacksmith.

Will almost didn't hear the knock at the door as he struggled to finish up an order for Governor Swann, but when he paused to wipe his brow and the knock reached his ears, he immediately put his hammer down to answer it.

It was Emily, a maid in the Governor's house. He had seen her before a few times around town and had exchanged pleasantries many times. He smiled.

"Good day Emily, how are you?"

"Fine Mr. Turner," she smiled. "I wish I could stay to speak with you, but I came by only to deliver a note."

His brow furrowed. "A note?"

Emily nodded. "From my lady. She asked it be delivered with urgency."

She passed the note to a perplexed Will, then looked over her shoulder briefly. "I really must go, but it was nice to see you again Mr. Turner."

He nodded. "Thank you. Good day Emily."

"Good day Mr. Turner."

Emily left as Will turned back into the shop and closed the door. He walked across the room to wash his hands before reading the note, not wanting to mar any of the writing or something. When they were clean, he opened the note and read:

_Dear Will,_

I was told that you had come by to visit while I  
rested. Had I been awake I would have gladly  
received your visit. Come by tomorrow, early  
afternoon if you are able. I'll be well tomorrow.

Yours Sincerely,

Elizabeth

Will smiled to himself, and made a mental note to visit Elizabeth tomorrow.

A/N: hmmm, something tells me maybe I should have embellished more slightly in some areas. Well, you decide! Review please!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Will Turner, Jack Sparrow, The Black Pearl or anything else from POTC. If I did I'd be the happiest person in the world. I own Morgan and all other non-POTC characters, and they may not be used w/o my permission. I'll get off my soapbox now.

Rating: Uh, PG

Chapter Three: Will Turner

Morgan went to sleep that night dreaming of Will, and woke up to a beautiful day. The maid had already come by to open the curtains, and her father had come with the doctor again. He was pleased with how much better she looked today than yesterday, and suggested some light activity like a walk if she was feeling up to it. Not wanting to get stuck in the gardens with Norrington she said she would think about it, and asked for another cup of tea from the maid when they left.

She was sitting up in her bed, reading the book she had used to write the note to Will yesterday when her maid came to her room again.

"Lieutenant Norrington's here Miss. He's wanting to know if you're well enough to have him visit you again today."

Morgan truly didn't want to see the Lieutenant again, but there really wasn't much choice in the matter – not unless she wanted to raise a few eyebrows in the process. She put her book aside and nodded.

"I'm well enough to see him."

The maid nodded and left the room. Moments later Lieutenant Norrington walked into her room, and she sighed, knowing it would be another long morning.

To Morgan's utmost relief, Norrington couldn't stay as long as he wished he could have. He looked truly remorseful and she tried to do the same, but she gave a sigh of relief when he left. She continued with her book until the maid brought up her lunch, and though she wanted to invite the maid to stay and talk with her, she didn't. Though when lunch was finished, the maid did stay to chat for awhile; mostly about Norrington, but the topic of Will managed to find its way in as well.

Soon the maid cleared her lunch dishes away, and Morgan climbed out of bed to look out her window. She wasn't there thirty minutes when the maid came rushing in again.

"Mr. Turner's here Miss! He's wanting to see you!"

Morgan's eyes widened and a smile came to her face. "Go back down and tell Mr. Turner to wait for me, then come and help me get dressed. I'm feeling well enough for a walk in the gardens."

The maid nodded and left as quickly as she came. Morgan paced the room, her mind chaos of many things in her excitement. Soon the maid returned, closing the door and moving to her closet.

"Your father's downstairs with Mr. Turner Miss," she commented, searching through her closet. "He had asked me if you really were feeling well enough to go out, and I assured him you were."

"Did he wonder at all why I didn't offer to go for a walk with Lieutenant Norrington?" Morgan asked, partly to try and calm herself. The maid shook her head, still searching.

"No Miss. Lieutenant Norrington has a busy day today I've heard, and couldn't allow himself the luxury anyway."

She pulled out a lovely ivory dress with flowers and flourishes embroidered in a few shades darker than the dress. The corset was sewn into the dress, a gift from someone, and much likened to the dresses of those days. It was beautiful and she couldn't wait to put it on. The maid helped her undress and slip the dress on over her head, all behind the screen of course, and she felt the maid begin to go at the strings in the back. She gasped at the first tug and turned to look back at the maid.

"Not so tight. The doctor doesn't want me to strain too much."

The maid nodded, and though the strings were still fairly tight, they were quite bearable. She steered Morgan to the vanity and sat her down, brushing out her hair and proceeding to pin it up neatly for her.

"I heard talk that the Governor is thinking of inviting the Lieutenant to dinner one of these days," the maid commented as she pinned Morgan's hair. "That would be an exciting night wouldn't it Miss?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, it would be exciting, having the Lieutenant over for dinner," Morgan answered absent-mindedly. Her mind was occupied with other things, namely a certain blacksmith who was waiting for her downstairs. When her hair was done the maid disappeared for a minute, only to reappear with a large hat, which she pinned to Morgan's head. The maid's hands moved quickly, and it was obvious she was practiced at doing this.

"There, all finished Miss," she said approvingly. "You best get downstairs. Wouldn't want to keep Mr. Turner waiting."

"Of course, thank you," she replied smiling, and left the room while the maid busied herself with tiding it up.

She had to admit that she felt a little wobbly, and her head was hurting just a bit, but it was nothing to be concerned about. She'd gone about her day with worse. There was no one in the foyer when she came down the stairs, but she could hear voices towards the back of the house. Excitedly she followed the sound through the rooms and came to her father and Will Turner, dressed proper with his hair pulled back. Both of them looked towards her as she entered the room, and she felt her face heat just a bit when Will's face lit up.

"Ah Elizabeth, I'm glad you've decided to get out of that bed of yours," he replied, walking up to hug her. "Are you feeling better?"

"Much better," she answered, nodding. She turned to Will smiling. "It's good to see you again Will."

"And you Miss Swann," he replied, sounding a bit bashful. "You look beautiful."

She blushed, nearly positive that it was quite evident this time. The Governor smiled.

"I have a few things to see to in town. Now Elizabeth, remember what the doctor said."

Morgan sighed; if he was this overbearing with just the hint of a cold, what would he be like if she had the flu? Regardless she smiled and nodded gracefully.

"Of course father. See you when you return."

"Good day Governor Swann," Will added respectfully. The Governor nodded his acknowledgement and left the room. Will turned to Morgan, offering his arm.

"Shall we go, Miss Swann?"

Morgan nodded, threaded his arm through his and allowed him to lead her out.

They spoke about many things, mostly of the goings-on in the town, which Elizabeth would not have known too much about. Of course, Morgan knew none of the names of the people Will mentioned, but he was such an animated story-teller and she could not help but laugh along with him. Every now and again he would ask her if she was okay, to which the answer was always yes, and she asked him once to call her Elizabeth. She had to be very careful with her wording so that the name Morgan didn't actually slip out.

Eventually they came to a bench under a great tree, upon which Will helped her sit before seating himself beside her. She brushed out some wrinkles in her dress.

"Will, you've never told me how it is working for Mr. Brown."

Will chuckled shyly and looked down. "I did not want to bore you with my life."

She smiled gently and put a hand on his arm. "Such things don't bore me. I would really like to hear about it."

He looked up and into her eyes for a moment, shifting just so before speaking. "I've learned a great deal from Mr. Brown. It's amazing to think you can take metal in its purest form and turn it into a blade or something else that is functional. And to look at all the blades hanging up in the smithy and know I forged each and every one of them…" he dropped his eyes again, smiling and shaking his head. "I can't explain how it feels."

Morgan watched him as he spoke, a smile on her face as well. Never had she thought someone could be so passionate about what they did for a living. Will looked back up at her and chuckled nervously again.

"What?" Morgan asked, her smile growing.

"I must sound ridiculous to you," he answered. She shook her head.

"No. I think it's wonderful that you enjoy it so much."

He lowered his voice. "Well, I will let you in on a little secret."

Morgan leaned a bit. "What is it?"

"Do you promise not to tell?"

"I won't breathe a word to anyone."

Will looked around before back at her. "Most of the work done at the smithy is done by me. Mr. Brown spends the day sleeping off his rum."

Morgan broke out in a fit of giggles, trying to keep them down. Will even joined in her laughter, it being somewhat contagious. He found her quite beautiful when she was relaxed like this. When their giggles died Will looked around.

"It's gotten quite late," he replied regretfully standing up. "I should be on my way."

Morgan was disappointed, but realized that he was indeed right, and it wouldn't seem entirely proper for her to ask him to stay longer. Wild thoughts of him sneaking to her room in the middle of the night raced through her mind, but she said nothing. Instead she accepted his hand and stood up, linking arms as he led her back to the house.

The Governor was just getting in when the pair walked into the house, and he looked surprised to see them.

"Elizabeth! Have you been outside this entire time? You do realize you're still to get plenty of rest."

"We were sitting in the gardens more than we were walking in them father," she argued softly, taking the pins out and removing her hat. Governor Swann chuckled.

"Well, you were in good hands," he agreed, walking towards them. "It was good of you to come by Mr. Turner, though I do hope this visit has not taken you away from your work. I know you have that order to do for me."

"Not at all Governor Swann," Will replied in an assuring voice. "In fact I have managed to keep ahead of myself these past few days. Your order will be ready for tomorrow."

The Governor nodded. "Splendid Mr. Turner. It's very rare one finds a man of your dedication. Now Elizabeth," he turned to Morgan. "I really must insist you rest before dinner, for my sake if not your own."

Morgan nodded solemnly. "Of course father."

He nodded once, and looked back to Will. "Well, it was nice to see you again Mr. Turner."

"You as well sir," he replied. "Good day Governor."

Both watched as he left them in the foyer. Morgan turned to Will.

"Thank you, for coming to see me Will."

"It was my pleasure, Miss Swann."

"Will, I really must insist you call me Elizabeth."

Will smiled, took her hand and placed a lingering kiss on it. "Good day, Elizabeth."

She watched him walk to the door, pausing only to look back at her once more before departing. When he closed the door Morgan let out a pleasant sigh, and raced up the stairs to her room.


End file.
